Same Tight Rope
by thenidefyyou
Summary: Sleepless nights for Michonne lead to something more with Rick. Richonne with a dash of implied Caryl. Minor comic spoilers within. No longer a one-shot!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: ****I am neither AMC or Robert Kirkman, so I own nothing pertaining to The Walking Dead.**

**This story's title and plot comes from the song "Same Tight Rope" by Emarosa, from their album Versus. Vocalist Bradley Walden said this about the song: "Love at first sight is a curse. Sometimes the timing is wrong. Two people eventually belong together, but they're not who they're going to be yet. Who knows if it's ever the right time?" It served as a great writing prompt, and is a beautiful song to boot. Enjoy!**

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><p>It was an unusually still night. The sound of walkers was distant, somewhere beyond the walls of the small abandoned community they had discovered. Rick sat staring out of the window of one of the homes, scanning the deserted streets for any signs of trouble. The large group had split up into three separate houses, partially for comfort, but to have more vantage points as well. In the house across the street, he could faintly make out Glenn and Maggie near a window. This was, of course, just a place to rest and not a permanent home. After losing Bob and what they had done to Gareth and the last of the Terminus folk in retaliation...they needed to clear their heads. It was going to be a long trip to Washington D.C. If they were to protect Eugene, the man who said he had a cure, they needed to be sharp.<p>

He checked his watch. It was almost time for Daryl to finish up the rest of watch. Somewhere upstairs Rick could hear someone moving around. Probably Daryl, in fact. Carol and Michonne were taking the evening off, per Rick and Daryl's insistence; neither woman seemed to be sleeping much recently. Carol still seemed haunted by what she did to Karen and David, and what had transpired with Lizzie and Mika. As for Michonne...Rick was not quite sure why she seemed unable to rest. Carl was stretched out on the couch, Judith in a makeshift crib of cardboard boxes beside him. The kids, at least, had no trouble getting plenty of sleep.

Rick took a few moments to gaze proudly at his children before heading up the stairs as quietly as possible. He was feeling sleepy, but not as drained as most of his companions. He did not feel the same way they felt about what they did to the Terminus people. No one mentioned it, but he could tell that some felt unnerved by the amount of brutality that was shown to other human beings. Even Sasha, who had been close to Bob, seemed horrified after they were done, even though she had argued not to make their deaths quick before. But Rick could not have let those people live. Did they need to go as far as they had? Maybe not. Rick did not dwell on it though. His lack of empathy toward people who were a threat to his family was something he had finally accepted.

Reaching the top of the steps, Rick found Daryl and Carol talking in low voices to each other. They abruptly stopped once he reached the landing. Rick brushed it off. This was something else he had accepted. Not everyone was comfortable with this new Rick.

"You ready?" he asked Daryl.

Daryl nodded. "Just checkin' in," he replied quietly, glancing at Carol.

Rick nodded. He glanced between the two of them for a few seconds before realizing he had interrupted a private moment. "'Night," he muttered, stepping around them. He headed toward the room that Michonne was in. The bedroom had two twin beds in it and was seemed to have once been a guest room, given its sparse decor. It was not very comfortable, but it was the best they had had for weeks. He knocked on the door, unsure what state Michonne was currently in.

"Come in," she called out. Judging by the clarity of her voice, she had already been awake.

He pushed open the door and took a moment to take in the scene. Michonne sat on the window seat, illuminated by the moonlight from the window and the candles atop the lone dresser by the door. Her katana was propped up against the wall next to her. She looked troubled and exhausted. Her lack of sleep was catching up with her and it showed on her face. Rick was worried about her. She had started opening up to him more, and showing more of her vulnerabilities. However, while she opened up more, it seemed she began processing more of her fears and insecurities. Suddenly seeing these emotions come from someone who had had a killer poker face for the majority of the time they had known each other was jarring, yet…

Rick stepped fully into the room, glad she had not noticed him yet, or at least had not reacted. Since he had been getting to know her, really know her, these past few weeks, the interest he had in her had grown significantly. She had been there for him and his children like no one else had, and it made him see her in a different light. There had always been something there, there was no denying that, but now...it was much different. Fluttering in his stomach every time she looked at him. His heart would skip a beat whenever she said his name. A blush across his cheeks whenever she touched him or brushed against him. He liked having her at his side. She understood him in a way that no one else did. Now, as he stood watching her, he realized what he felt.

"Gonna stand there all night?" Michonne finally spoke, turning and looking at him with a playful smile.

"Jus' thinkin," he told her, rubbing his beard. "You should be restin.' You haven't had a good night's sleep in a week at least"

Michonne shrugged and turned back to the window. "Sleep isn't doing me any favors right now," she muttered.

"Somethin' botherin' you?" Rick took a few steps closer to her.

She hesitated. "Been havin' a lot of nightmares. It's why I haven't been sleeping."

"If this is about what we did to-"

"It's not."

"Are you okay with it?"

She shrugged. "What we did...it might have been a bit much," she said. "We were so emotional over Bob. Maybe they deserved it all, maybe they didn't. But it's over and done with. No good having second thoughts now."

Rick nodded. It was a relief to know that at least one other person felt the same way he did. It still didn't explain why she had been so unfocused these last few days. "So what is botherin' you?"

Michonne didn't answer.

Rick sighed and sat down next to her on the window seat. "'Chonne, I just wanna help you. I hate seeing you like this."

She gritted her teeth. He leaned back to try to force her to look at him. She finally glanced at him and took a deep breath. "I keep dreaming about the night I had to put down my three-year-old son."

He felt his heart sink. Although he had figured out that something bad had happened with a child in her past, considering how she sometimes reacted to Judith, it did not lessen the blow. Rick could not bear the thought of having to put down one of his own. It suddenly made sense why Michonne had been so closed off from everyone; it was her way of dealing with unimaginable grief. "I'm...I'm so sorry," he murmured, looking away from her. "I can't even imagine…"

Michonne continued to stare out of the window, but her expression softened a bit. "I've pushed it aside for so long. Didn't let myself think about it. Now it's all I see every time I close my eyes," she explained. "I just don't understand it. It's just like with Gareth - it's in the past. But this is just...clinging to me."

Rick glanced at her. "It's different when it's somebody close to you. It's different when it's somebody who didn't deserve it. Now, if Judy is upsetting you-"

"No, no...I love Judy." She gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I don't wanna spend time away from her. It's just...gonna take me a bit to process everything. I haven't let myself until now."

"Okay." Rick was internally glad for this. Little Judith had really taken to Michonne as well. "Well if you need anything...don't be afraid to ask. I know how hard it can be, and even if there's nothin' I can do, I'm here."

She nodded and gave him a small smile as thanks. He kept watching her, hoping she would say more. He did not know what else to say to her although he felt he should. It was one of the few times they had alone time, just the two of them, and he did not want to squander it. Rick scooted a bit closer to her and for once she did not instinctively move away.

"Does anyone else know about your son?" he asked.

Michonne shrugged. "Just Carl."

"He knows?"

"Yeah. I told him a couple of weeks ago. Didn't really mean to, it just kind of slipped out." She glanced over at him. "Seemed to help him when we thought Judith was gone."

Rick nodded at her. "Thank you. That means a lot."

She looked down. She fiddled with the edge of her left glove for a while, bending and smoothing out the leather. She took a deep breath and said, "I wasn't kidding when I told you I'm done taking breaks. I don't want to be alone anymore."

"Good. You have a lot of people who care about you here. We all do."

"I know. You mean a lot to me. You all do. I just need to learn to be open to others again. And to love again." Michonne glanced at him at these words.

Rick blinked at her. Her insinuation was as clear as day, and he was fine with it. More than fine, actually. He nodded, grinning. A part of him was unsure if he was ready to open himself to love again. It felt like a tremendously bad time to even consider it. What had happened to Sasha and Bob would make anyone leery. Then again, when would be the opportune time in a world like this? Does one accept that survival is the priority or find happiness before it is too late? He gazed at her, trying to find an armistice between his conflicting feelings. All he knew was that this felt inevitable.

They sat like that for a while, simply looking at each other and enjoying the moment. Finally, Michonne yawned and said, "I can take the rest of watch duty."

"No, Daryl's got it and you should try to get some sleep," he told her. "You're already yawnin.'"

"I don't think I'd get good sleep anyway," she protested.

"Please. Try to sleep. I'll even stay with you until you fall asleep."

Michonne giggled. "Fine. Have it your way, Rick." She got up and walked over to one of the twin beds. She slid under the sheets and curled up onto her side facing him. Rick followed her and knelt down by the bed. Once she was situated, he reached over and put a hand over hers.

"I'll be here if you need me," he said quietly.

She grinned. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rick sat on the floor, leaning against the mattress. He felt his cheeks grow warm as his heart pounded in his chest. "I'm right here."

She smiled and nodded. Michonne gazed into his eyes for a few minutes until her eyelids seemed to get too heavy for her and fluttered shut. Rick felt himself getting sleepy as well, but he did not want to move. She had been by his side so many times that he felt it was past time for him to return the favor. A gentle knock at the door pulled him from the edge of drowsiness. He turned his head and saw Daryl peeking through the crack in the door.

"Everythin' okay?" Daryl whispered, glancing between Rick and a now-asleep Michonne.

"Yeah," Rick whispered back.

Daryl nodded. "See ya in the mornin'," he muttered. He gave Rick a small, rare smile and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Rick looked back at Michonne and brushed a stray dreadlock from her face. He knew there would be questions about what was going on between them in the morning. He honestly was not sure what he would say. They both certainly felt something for each other, and knew that it was mutual, but they had more pressing concerns most of the time. Rick could not convince himself that it was a good time to move forward with anything. Not until they got to D.C. and got the cure. Not until they could stop running.

He laid his free arm on the edge of the bed and rested his head on it. Someday, he could focus his attention on this woman instead of food and shelter. He looked forward to it. Rick gazed into Michonne's face until he too slipped into sleep.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed! If you'd like, and if I'm feeling inspired enough, I may turn this into a full fic. Still pondering, though... :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed the first part. I have (clearly) decided to keep going with it. **

**Fun fact, I actually live in the DC metro area. I'm about to have a blast writing about my stomping grounds!**

**Just as a warning, these next couple of chapters are going to be lighter on Richonne fluff and heavier on plot. The good stuff will start soon, I promise! Enjoy!**

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><p>Michonne sighed as the group of walkers emerged from the dark forest, ambling toward the campsite along the side of the road. She and Maggie exchanged a weary look as they stood up, along with Sasha and Abraham. The rest hung back, ready to spring forward if anyone got into trouble. But a group of walkers this size was easily manageable. There were only eight of them.<p>

Putting down walkers sometimes felt more like a chore. Michonne pulled her katana from its sheath and quickly took down two of the bastards in one swipe. As she sliced through a third, she scolded herself. It was dangerous to get too complacent. Too cocky. Too sure that everything would be fine. The group was strong, sure, but luck was doing them more favors than skill at this point. There had been a lot of close calls. It was only a matter of time…She pushed these thoughts from her head as she flicked the gore off of the katana. These thoughts wouldn't help them get to Washington. Michonne had to stay focused, along with everyone else.

It was late on a cloudy night, the group's two campfires serving as the only sources of light. They were somewhere around Woodbridge, within 25 miles of what had once been the nation's capital. It had been a long week getting from Georgia to Virginia, hampered by bad weather, blocked roads, and herds of walkers. Everyone was exhausted, but hopeful. Michonne watched Abraham take down the last walker and turned around, sheathing her weapon. She started to head back to where Carl sat with Judith and a few others, reading to his sister from a comic book that was more than likely inappropriate for a baby.

On her way to the kids, Michonne saw Rick standing by one of the SUVs they had hotwired along the way. He was looking right at her. She faltered mid step in surprise. Hopefully, no one had noticed her randomly stumble. She could tell he wanted her to join him for a talk. These chats had been more frequent since the night she told him about her nightmares. She had hinted at the feelings for him that had been long brewing in her psyche. He seemed to have similar feelings for her. Unfortunately, there had not been time or a place to discuss what was going on between them. She sort of regretted even bringing up her feelings to him. Getting to Washington safely was the priority. Period. Everything else would have to wait.

Yet, Michonne figured it would do no harm to check in with him before they all settled in for the night. On her way to Rick, she stopped next to Beth, who was still a bit weak and recovering from her kidnapping and ordeal at the hospital. The cast on her arm prevented her from doing much walker-killing, anyway. "Doin' okay?" Michonne asked her.

Beth nodded. "Yes. Thanks. Just ready to get to Washington," she chirped.

"We'll be there very soon," Michonne assured her. The girl was strong. Michonne had no doubt she would be back to speed soon. To Beth's left was Maggie and Glenn, talking quietly to one another. Sasha sat on the other side of Glenn. She was watching Carl and Judith, attempting to hide how much pain she was still in after the horrific loss of Bob. Sasha gave her a smile as she walked by.

Michonne patted Carl on the shoulder as she passed him. "Get enough to eat?" she asked.

"Yep!" Carl replied, looking up from his comic long enough to smile at her before diving back in.

She chuckled to herself before continuing on toward Rick. Just as she was getting close, a flash of movement by the second campfire drew Michonne's attention. Daryl was getting up in Eugene's face. _Dammit, Daryl_, she thought as Rick immediately ran over to break up the altercation before someone got hurt. Well, before Eugene got hurt, rather. Michonne only took a few steps in that direction. She had seen Daryl angry at someone before, and that was not something she wanted to be too close to again.

"I don't get why this guy won't just try the damn radio," Daryl fumed, stepping toward Eugene again before Rick gently pushed him back.

"Eugene, we're probably close enough to give it a go," Rick said, holding out an arm to keep Daryl from moving forward anymore.

"I got very little juice left in this thing. I just wanna wait until mornin'. Better chance of reachin' someone during the day," Eugene mumbled.

Rosita cut her eyes at Eugene, taking a step back from him. "Wait, didn't you say they had people working 'round the clock?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously. "Why do we need to wait until morning?"

"And if the batteries are low, why in Satan's britches haven't you said anything before now?" Abraham snapped. "All the stores and houses we passed…"

Eugene mumbled something incoherent.

Michonne snorted to herself. She had long felt that Eugene was lying about at least part of his story. She had talked to Rick about it, but Rick had given the man the benefit of the doubt. She figured he did not want to even consider about being wrong about this. Not after they had travelled for days and through multiple states.

Glenn and Tyrese stood next to Michonne to watch the argument. "He's full of shit, huh?" Glenn said. He did not sound surprised at all.

Michonne nodded. "I knew it when he wouldn't let anywhere near him while he supposedly checked the radio," she replied. "How'd you figure it out?"

"He wouldn't even give us a hint of what the cure was," Tyrese said, shaking his head. "Can't explain somethin' that don't exist."

They fell silent for a few seconds as Daryl began bellowing at Eugene. Rick and Tara held him back.

"Also the mullet. I'd never completely trust a dude with a mullet," Glenn added.

"...Yeah," Michonne admitted.

"Yup," Tyrese agreed.

Daryl broke free of Rick and Tara and hurtled toward Eugene. He tried to snatch the radio from his hands, but only succeeded in sending it flying toward the ground. With a _crunch_ it hit the broken pavement. The entire camp fell silent. All eyes were on the radio and it was as if everyone was afraid to move. Finally, Rick leaned down and delicately picked up the radio. He examined it, glancing up at Eugene. Michonne was sure Eugene was about to piss himself. Rick popped open the hatch to the battery compartment and stared into it for a few seconds.

"There's no batteries," he said flatly, as though he couldn't quite believe it himself. He turned to Eugene, his eyes narrowing. "You didn't even have batteries in this thing?"

"When did you run out?" Abraham asked, now turning to Eugene himself.

Eugene looked down at his feet. "Mississippi," he replied.

It was like a bomb went off. Almost everyone headed toward the fray, either yelling or cursing or trying to hold others back. Tyrese and Sasha ran forward to help hold Daryl back. Maggie came over to be with Glenn, shaking her head in disappointment. Carl walked over to Michonne, cradling Judith, with Beth not far behind.

"What do we do now?" Carl asked.

Michonne shrugged sadly. She reached out and held Judith's little hand. The baby was getting upset by all of the ruckus. "I'm not sure, Carl," she sighed.

"But we're still going to Washington, right?" he asked as though there were no other option

"Dunno what good it would do us," Glenn muttered as he and Maggie an eye on the shitstorm.

It was Beth's turn to shrug. "If anywhere still has people in it, the capital would, right?" she said. "Just 'cause Eugene's lyin' doesn't mean it's not worth tryin' to find people. Someone's gotta be rebuildin'."

Michonne, Maggie, and Glenn looked at each other, considering the idea. Unfortunately none of them had a chance to reply before they heard something in the forest. "Stand back," Michonne hissed to Carl and Beth, grabbing her katana again. They stepped back toward the fire.

"Hey, guys!" Maggie yelled back to the larger group. Unfortunately, her call largely fell on deaf ears. Only Carol looked away from the fighting and ran over.

"More walkers?" she asked, pulling her pistol from its holster.

"I hope that's all it is," Glenn muttered, drawing his gun. Maggie and Carol pointed their weapons at the forest as well.

For a few seconds, there was nothing. Michonne started to lower her katana, but just as she did, she heard twigs snapping and leaves crunching. Something was moving closer. She took a deep breath and-

"Don't shoot!" The voice came from the forest. Michonne and Carol glanced at each other nervously.

"Show yourself!" Maggie demanded.

There was a pause before the rustling started again. The nearest tree branch was pushed aside and a man stepped out with both hands raised above his shoulders. He had blond hair and looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s. He was cleanly shaven, so he clearly had a camp closeby. He didn't appear to have any weapons.

Michonne turned back to Carl. "Get your dad," she told him. Carl nodded, handed Judith to Beth and headed toward the rest of the group. She turned back to the stranger. "Who are you?"

"My name is Aaron," he said. Michonne noted how calm he seemed. "I'm from Alexandria. We have a settlement there. My job is to find people and recruit them to join us."

"Where's Alexandria?" Maggie asked.

"'Bout 20 miles north of here. Just south of where DC used to be," Aaron answered.

Michonne tried not to show her dismay at his wording. It certainly sounded like there was nothing left of Washington to go to. She did not get to ponder it too much longer, as Rick appeared at her side. The rest of the group was heading over as well, weapons drawn.

"Who is he?" he asked.

Glenn nodded toward Aaron. "He says his name is Aaron. He's from a settlement right outside Washington," he explained.

Rick nodded. He did not show it but she knew he recognized this man's sudden importance. He walked right up to Aaron. "What're you doin' here?"

"I'm here to recruit you for the settlement in Alexandria, if you're willing to join us," Aaron said. He never faltered once.

"We're goin' to Washington," Rick said simply.

Aaron blinked. "I uh, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's not much left of the city. Been that way for a while. Probably held up longer than most places, but...Sorry."

Rick rubbed his beard. "There's nothing there at all? Even the government? Research labs?" he said.

Aaron shook his head. "The guy in charge in Alexandria - he was a senator. He'd know if anything was still functional. You'd think so, anyway." He hesitated while the group had their second major disappointment in the last 15 minutes. "I mean, something might be operating somewhere else, but it's probably not in DC."

"I need to see it for myself," Rick told him, his weariness and dismay apparent in his voice. He began to check Aaron for weapons. "We need to see it. We've come all the way from Georgia to get to Washington, and we're not givin' up just yet."

"Georgia? Jesus," Aaron breathed. "I figured y'all weren't from around here, but damn. In that case, I'll take you to DC just to prove that it's a lost cause. If I do, will you come with me to Alexandria? We've got houses, food, power..."

Rick looked back at the others. No one stated any objections. "I wanna ask you some questions first…"

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><p>It was determined that they would head to Washington at dawn. After he had passed their three-question test, Aaron, accompanied by Rick and Daryl, brought his truck around to their camp and stayed in it for the night. Those on watch kept an eye on him as well as the surrounding areas. Michonne made sure Carl and Judith were safe inside the back of an SUV and started to climb into the back seat when a voice startled her.<p>

"Hey." It was Rick.

"Hey," she said, throwing her blanket into the open car door and stepping away as not to disturb the kids. "You believe all this?"

Rick sighed, fiddling with the cap of the water bottle in his hands. "I'm not sure."

"Is Eugene even really a scientist?" Michonne asked.

Rick shook his head somberly. "Dunno how much you heard, but yeah, he was lyin' 'bout it all. He's really just a substitute teacher."

"Well, shit," she hissed. "Doesn't leave us with many options."

"I just can't tell if this is a trap or not," he told her. "Or if these people are gonna be any better than Terminus or Woodbury."

"Maybe third time's the charm," she offered with sincere hope.

Rick smiled bitterly. "Or it's what finally does us all in," he muttered. He looked to where Eugene sat by himself at the edge of the camp. "I dunno what to do with him."

"Maybe we can leave him in Alexandria. Then move on."

"Move on to where?"

Michonne paused, realized she had no answer, and shrugged.

"We have to stop runnin' eventually." He glanced back at where Carl and Judith were, and she knew he wanted stability for them. Who could blame him? He chuckled bitterly and said, "Maybe it's just exhaustion or wanting to have good news for once, but...I sorta believe this Aaron guy."

"I actually do, too," she told him.

"When Daryl and I went with him to get his truck, he was tellin' us all about Alexandria. Answered every question we had with no problem. He said they got solar power, wells for water, houses, walls, gardens, livestock...If he's bullshittin', he's doin' a real good job of it."

"How can they be so open to bringing people in?"

"They're trying to rebuild civilization. They go out and watch people or groups for a while. See how they act, what they're good at. If Aaron or whoever deems them safe to bring back to the community, they approach. If not, they move on."

"So how long was this guy watching us?"

"He said three days."

"He was out there that long and none of us knew? Who else could be out there?"

Rick nodded. "This is why we need to be careful. We need to stay alert, even after we get to Alexandria. And we need to make sure we don't get separated. Even though I think Alexandria's our only shot...I just don't wanna make another mistake that leads to losin' more of our people."

Michonne reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "I get it. Let's see how Washington goes, keep looking for red flags, and we'll figure it out from there."

He put his hand over hers and gave it a quick squeeze. "Sounds like a plan to me. For right now though, we need to rest up. You still havin'...you know?"

"Yeah." Michonne pulled her hand away from his when she saw Beth look at them. "I'll at least try to get some sleep."

Rick gave her a strange look, then followed her gaze and also saw Beth. "Alright. Good night." He strutted away, toward Tyrese and Sasha.

Michonne closed her eyes and stretched. What a bizarre evening. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Beth still looking at her. The girl smiled at her. She must have seen Rick holding her hand. Well, shit. Michonne just smiled back, shook her head, and headed back to the SUV. Just one more thing for them to deal with later.

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><p><strong>AN: No offense intended to dudes with mullets. Chapter 3 hopefully coming soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for all the great reviews. I really appreciate the support! Without further ado...**

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><p>It did not take long to determine that going to Washington, D.C. was a bust.<p>

Rick felt his frustration and disappointment growing with every empty street they passed, every monument or government building in shambles, every group of walkers they escaped. Not only was it a reminder that he had failed to take a vacation here with Lori and Carl, as they'd always talked about, but a reminder that he had made the decision to bring his post-apocalypse family hundreds of miles away from anything they were familiar with over one man's lie. He was silent as they trekked back through the streets toward the National Mall where they had parked their vehicles.

Aaron, to his credit, noticed the completely downtrodden spirits of the group and kept getting them to laugh with stories and jokes about how things once were in D.C. Strange people he had met on the metro. How awful the Captial Beltway had been, especially over rush hour. How the city had finally solved its corruption problems, but they may have overdone it a bit. After the laughter stopped, however, the disappointment crept back in. Stories and jokes could not change the fact that they had come here because they had put their faith in a lie.

From his peripheral vision Rick saw someone walking in step with him. He turned his head slightly and saw that it was Michonne. She looked just as downcast as he felt. Although Aaron had warned them that the city was done for, seeing it cemented that reality. It took away the last shred of hope. As they passed the White House, with its gates torn open, windows broken, lawn unkempt, and front doors ajar, they all stopped and stared. It was the final blow. Rick and Michonne stood away from the rest of the group and leaned against the fence, watching the remains of the tattered American flag on the White House sway in the breeze.

"I'm glad I got the chance to see it before everything went to shit," Michonne muttered.

"You're lucky," Rick said, his voice hoarse from not speaking for most of the day. "The whole city must've been somethin' back then."

She nodded. "Had to come up here for a couple of cases. Never did get to sightsee as much as I wanted to," she said.

"Cases?"

Michonne chuckled. "I was a lawyer before all this, Rick."

Rick stared at her. "You're shittin' me."

"I'm not! I was a prosecutor."

"Criminal?"

"No. Intellectual property. Criminal was too much for me back then."

"Hard to believe that now." He chuckled. Everything he learned about her was different than what he expected. It increased his desire to know what else he had wrong about her.

She shook her head, her dreamy smile lighting up her face. "We were all completely different then. I just-"

"Hey folks!" Aaron called out, interrupting her. "We're losin' daylight. Should probably double time it, unfortunately. Best to be in Alexandria before it gets too late."

"What's the rush?" Daryl asked.

"There are some groups of...assholes that hang 'round here after dark. I've had a few run-ins with them myself," Aaron answered as the group continued heading west toward 15th Street. "I'd just really rather not deal with them today."

"Are they dangerous?" questioned Rick.

Aaron shrugged. "Not yet, but we've come an, uh, agreement of sorts that we would make our group's visits to this neighborhood short. Honestly, they're just a bunch of fuckfaces that are enjoying the apocalypse a bit too much."

The group continued on their way, now passing some familiar buildings that indicated they were close to the vehicles. Rick turned to Michonne again. "When we get to Alexandria, I'm going in alone to check things out first," he told her.

"It's stupid to go alone," she said brusquely. "I'll go with you."

"No, I need you to stay with Carl. He'll wanna come in too, but I don't wanna bring him in if it turns out to be a trap."

"And if it's a trap for those of us waiting outside?"

Rick hesitated. "I trust that the larger group of you can defend yourselves."

Michonne tilted her head and gave him a look. "At least take a couple of people with you. More pairs of eyes to make sure it's legit," she implored.

He studied her for a few seconds. She seemed genuinely adamant over this. He reckoned that even if he chose not to listen to her, she would find a way to either come in herself or get someone else in there anyway. "Okay. I'll see a couple others are willing to join me," he assured her.

"Good," she said quietly. She sighed to herself and said no more.

Rick stole a few more glances at her as the group made a right at the next intersection. She really was something else. Few others could influence him the way she could. "Hey," he said after a few paces to get her attention. "I don't think I've ever thanked you for everything. I doubt I'd still be here if you hadn't been around."

Michonne looked at him and shrugged. "I've never thanked you, either. I figured being there for each other through hell and back a billion times over was enough," she grinned. "And if this ends up being another shitshow it'll be a billion and one times."

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><p>The drive out of Washington was surprisingly smooth. Abandoned cars had been pushed to the sides of the roads to allow a path and to block walkers from the roadways. Aaron told them that it had taken the Alexandria crew quite some time to clear the roadways into Washington. They took Route 1 over the Potomac River and into Virginia, through the remains of Crystal City, and into the heart of Alexandria. Now they stood outside the gates of a large, walled-off portion of what used to be the Del Ray neighborhood. Rick, Sasha, and Daryl stood with Aaron while the iron gates that had been covered with plywood were heaved open by people inside.<p>

"Can't say I blame you for not taking everyone in at once," Aaron muttered as the gates opened enough for them to pass. "There's a lotta dicks out here these days."

"You don't know the half of it," Sasha muttered.

"We still get a few groups of low-lifes that try to attack us every so often. Hell, even some of the people we've let in have later been made to leave. It's why we watch people before inviting them in. You see who people really are when they think no one's watching," Aaron explained.

Rick took a look over his shoulder at the rest of the group. Michonne was holding Judith, standing next to Carl. He looked down the line at Abe, Glenn, Maggie, Carol...He knew they could handle themselves if things went south. He hoped it would not come to that, though. "You've thrown people out?" he asked, turning back to Aaron.

"Hell yeah," he replied. "Hasn't happened too often, but it has. Last guy got thrown out a couple months ago for attempted rape. We don't have much of a judicial system here but there are some ground rules. They mostly boil down to 'don't be an asshole.'" Aaron nodded toward a bald, older gentleman who was walking briskly toward them. "Douglas here will talk your ear off about all of that...and take it from here."

Douglas seemed to have only caught the last bit of Aaron's statement. "Thank you, Aaron," he said warmly. He turned toward the three newcomers. "I heard there would be more of you."

"We figured we'd check things out first," Rick replied.

"Ah," Douglas nodded. "I do understand, mister, ah…?"

"Rick Grimes. And this here is Daryl and Sasha." Rick shook Douglas' hand. Daryl did the same, albeit hesitantly. He was never one for formalities. Douglas took Sasha's hand and held it for a second too long for Rick's liking. Sasha's smile faltered a bit as well.

"Wonderful to meet all of you. Well, let me show you around and tell you about our little safe zone here," Douglas said eagerly. He glanced at Aaron. "Aaron, you should check in with Eric when you get a chance, too. He's been worried sick."

Aaron shrugged. "I'll find him when we're done," he said. He noticed the blank looks on the faces of the others. "Eric is my boyfriend. He never stops worrying."

Douglas smiled at him and turned back to Daryl, Rick and Sasha. "Shall we, then?" Douglas lead the small group into a small brick apartment building, informing them that it had been re-purposed to encompass the school, infirmary, daycare, armory, and stockroom. "It is our community center, of sorts. As we grow, we'll add in a police station, meeting area, and more," he explained.

"How many people are here now?" Sasha asked.

"We have around 70 now, not including your group," Douglas answered, "and three babies on the way."

They walked through the first floor of the building, looking into the now-empty classrooms, checking out the surprisingly well-stocked store room and armory, and meeting one of the town's doctors, Denise, in the infirmary that was filled with equipment from a local hospital. Rick felt his guard going down a little with every step. _Holy shit, this place is real,_ he thought. He almost could not believe it, but here they were. Every question or concern he, Sasha, or Daryl posed received an adequate and seemingly honest reply.

"How are you guys getting electricity?" he asked in the infirmary as he watched Denise calibrate a machine.

"Solar power," Douglas said, beaming. "We were lucky to recruit a man named Scott who worked with a solar power company in D.C. He's helped us install and maintain a grid. For backup, we have a few gas generators as well. But as long as everyone is mindful of their usage, we have little trouble."

They headed back outside and down to the street toward a greenhouse. "We built the greenhouse ourselves last spring," Aaron said proudly. "Protects our crops and we've had plenty of food this year." Next to the greenhouse was a chicken house.

"Where'd you get the chickens from?" Rick asked.

"We travelled about a hundred miles searching for those things," Aaron laughed. "Most livestock had broken free or died a while ago."

"Found them, where, in the Shenandoah Valley, finally?" Douglas chuckled.

"Yeah. We were going down there to try to recruit people, see if there were any bands of survivors, but ended up with chickens instead," Aaron said. "Worked out well, though. Lotta farms down that way. One day we'll expand our livestock area and we'll probably take a group down there and see if we can find any cows and horses."

Daryl, Sasha, and Rick were now exchanging excited glances as they went further into the neighborhood and into the housing area. They could find nothing wrong with Alexandria and they were shocked. Rick looked around at the houses, decent sized abodes with small yards. He could actually see his kids growing up here. He could see them all living out the rest of their lives here, happy and safe. At the same time, he felt a pang of sadness. He and Lori had dreamed of finding a place like this after it all started. And now, a year after she had passed, they stumbled upon exactly what they'd hoped for. It felt like a cruel joke.

"At this time we only have three empty houses, so depending on how large your group is, you'll have to share until we expand one more block west," Douglas told them.

"Cleanup's almost done, we've just gotta expand the wall, the power system, and the plumbing," Aaron added. "No more than a few weeks' worth of work."

They continued around past a church and a small playground where a group of children were chasing each other and and headed back toward the gates, which were still open. Rick was speechless, trying to process everything. He wanted to be suspicious, but beyond Douglas' creepy interaction with Sasha, which could easily be monitored, he could find no faults. Douglas and Aaron both seemed completely honest and there was nothing to prove otherwise. Even those guarding the walls seemed relaxed and cheerful. Everything was so...peaceful.

"If you don't have any more questions for us, we'll let you go and discuss things over with your group. Take as long as you need to," Douglas told them. "Ah, I see my wife Regina has stopped by."

Rick followed his sight line and saw a sour looking woman glaring at all of them. She turned her nose up at them as he, Daryl, Sasha, and Aaron passed by. She waited until they were out of earshot before speaking to Douglas.

"Don't take anything that woman says or does personally," Aaron said with a sharp laugh. "Regina's always bitter and never happy about anything." He stopped just within the gates. "I'll let you guys talk privately. I'll be back by the community building if you need anything." He gave them a small wave and walked away.

Rick looked at his two companions. "Y'all see anything we should be worried about?" he asked them once Aaron was out of earshot.

Sasha shrugged. "Nothin' but the fact that Douglas seems like a bit of a creep," she said.

"You think he might be dangerous for you or anyone else?"

"Hard to say. I don't get that vibe, but...who knows?" she sighed. "I think as long as we all stay alert and in pairs at least for a while, this place is the best we've ever had."

Rick nodded. "Daryl?" he said, turning to him.

Daryl shook his head. "As much as I looked for somethin' wrong...couldn't find a damn thing that felt off other than him leerin' at Sasha. I think we got the real thing here," he told him.

Taking a deep breath, Rick glanced back toward the rest of their group, who were still waiting just beyond the gates. No one was missing or harmed. In fact, Tyrese and Tara were chatting amicably with a couple of people on guard duty. It was all...fine. He had not felt "fine" in so long that it felt foreign. "Let's bring the others in, then," he sighed. He hoped he would not regret this. He whistled to them and they all slowly headed in. Rick walked over to Douglas, whose wife was now nowhere in sight. "We're ready to join you."

Douglas beamed. "Wonderful!" He watched as the remaining twelve people of Rick's family strolled in and joined Daryl and Sasha. "This is the largest group we've welcomed at one time, so please pardon us if we're a bit unprepared. I'll have Olivia stop by and bring you all some essentials shortly. We should have plenty."

Rick allowed himself to smile. "Thank you for lettin' us stay here," he said earnestly.

"Now there are just a few, ah...details I'd like to go over with you, if you have a moment," Douglas told him. "Nothing too serious. First, I do have to ask that your group's weapons are kept inside your houses unless you are going outside the walls or on guard duty."

"Okay." Rick wasn't entirely fond of that, but he could live with it. From the corner of his eye he saw a small African American boy run past the group. He saw how Michonne froze as the boy ran by her, looking like she had seen a ghost. He realized the child probably reminded her of her son. Rick fought the urge to tell Douglas to can it and go to her.

"Secondly we do expect everyone to contribute. After you all get settled in, I'll ask you to help me decide what each of your people would be best suited for. You know them best. And of course, they have the final say," Douglas went on, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Rick was currently distracted.

"Mmm hmm." Rick saw Carol go to Michonne and put a hand on her shoulder. The two women started talking. He relaxed a bit, knowing Carol was probably better able to understand what Michonne was going through than anyone else, and turned back to Douglas. "How long before we start figuring that out?" he asked.

"We typically give you a week or two. Considering the size of your group and what had to have been a tough journey here, I'll give you two to get acclimated. I'll follow up with you a bit more tomorrow, but as for now, I expect you're all tired and hungry and I won't keep you any longer. The day after tomorrow, however, I'd like to throw a little welcome party for you all at my house. It's a bit of a tradition around here whenever we welcome new folks. Just to help you meet your new neighbors. I'd be grateful if you all could attend."

Rick blinked at Douglas, unsure what to think. "Thank you. We haven't had a reason to celebrate in quite some time, so...I appreciate it," he finally stammered out.

"You're most welcome, Rick. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the evening!" Douglas shook his hand and walked off.

Rick headed back toward his group. They were all buzzing with excitement and hope. Even Michonne had relaxed a bit after seeing the child and now laughed along with Tara about something. He had not seen everyone in such high spirits since they were at Father Gabriel's church weeks ago. It seemed like their luck had finally changed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the long wait, guys! I've not had as much time as I would have liked to write. Working in the hospitality field two weeks from Thanksgiving here in the US means I've pretty busy. In addition, this chapter is a bit longer than the others so far, and I did a few rewrites as well. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Michonne had not imagined she would ever be getting ready for a party again. But things were different now. They were safe. They were around people that did not want to hurt them. They could relax and finally reflect on what had happened over the last two years.<p>

For some of them, that reflection was painful. Michonne had struggled to get through the past two nights. Going to sleep on a cozy bed of her own after a hot shower, with a satiated stomach and a quenched thirst felt wrong. It did not help her mentally, either. Without the distractions of the outside world, the previous horrors she had experienced moved to the forefront. She would sleep for an hour or two, three if she was lucky, before waking up in a cold sweat with her son Andre's name on her lips and tears cascading down her cheeks. If her subconscious only hounded her at night, she would have been thankful. Even during the day, she would swear she heard voices from others she had lost or killed - Mike, Andrea, Gareth, Herschel, Terry, the Governor...It was the worst.

Luckily, Carol was staying in the same house as her, along with Rick and the kids and Daryl. Carol seemed to sleep as little as Michonne did. She had seen Michonne's visceral reaction to seeing a small boy similar to Andre when they first arrived. Having been a mother herself, she immediately knew why Michonne had reacted the way she did. It was incredibly comforting for both women to know that someone understood. Neither of them had to go through it alone anymore. However, Carol had not yet told Michonne what exactly was plaguing her. Michonne took no offense to this. Whatever had happened between the fall of the prison and the aftermath of Terminus was still too painful. Besides, they had had few interactions until now. They were friendly toward each other, of course, but back at the prison Michonne had not been keen to get close to people and Carol respected her space. Regardless, it was good to have her as a friend now.

Rick also seemed to be a difficult time adjusting to this cozy new life. He had spent a lot of time in the last couple of days just sitting in his room, staring outside of his window. A few times, Michonne had caught him fiddling with his wedding ring, twisting it around his finger and pulling it back and forth over his knuckle. It was like a nervous tic. She had not seen him even acknowledge its existence until now. Michonne chose not to say anything regarding his new habit. As curious as she was to see what was going on in his mind, this felt like something he needed to figure out alone first. She figured he would talk about it when he was ready.

However, now was the time to try to start anew. Michonne, Carol, Sasha, Beth, Rosita, Tara and Maggie had ransacked a boutique just outside of the safe-zone in preparation for the party. They could not help but feel a little excited to get dressed up and turn over a new leaf. After Michonne got back and finished showering, Carl offered to help her get ready. She was surprised that he took an interest. Something was up.

"Don't you need to get ready, too?" she asked him, hanging the purple strapless dress she had chosen on an over-the-door hook.

Carl made a small noise of disgust as he sat on the foot of her bed. "I'm not going to that party," he scoffed. "It sounds dumb. No offense."

Michonne rolled her eyes and chuckled. He had been particularly sour today upon learning he was required to start school soon. He could not see the point of continuing his education, and in his mind, he was already an adult and no longer needed it. However, Rick agreed with Douglas and put his foot down. Carl was to attend school for another year or so. There was nothing anyone could say or do to make him less surly about it.

"I've seen a couple of kids your age around. You should come and make some friends," Michonne told him, looking at herself in the vanity. She reached for a hair tie and pulled half of her dreads into a high ponytail.

"I've got friends," Carl protested.

"Friends your age," she amended.

"Beth's close to my age."

Michonne threw up her hands in resignation. "Fine, Carl," she laughed. She tugged open the drawers to the vanity table. The first two drawers were filled with makeup that Michonne would not dare to touch, even if it were in shades she could wear. The remaining four, however, were nothing but an assortment of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. "Wow. Sure loved jewelry."

"Lemme see." Carl got up and walked over to her side. "Woah."

"Well, no shortage of options. Gonna find me the right pieces?"

Carl shrugged. "Sure." He knelt down and began digging through the drawers.

Michonne patted him on the shoulder and stood up. "I'm gonna go change. Be right back." She took the dress and headed across the hall to the bathroom. On her way there, she paused, hearing something coming from Rick's closed door. She took a small step toward his room. It sounded like...a razor? She ducked into the bathroom and smiled to herself. She could not wait to see Rick without all of that scruff.

She could not close the zipper on the dress completely by herself, but she had Carl around to assist. She went back to her room, throwing the jeans and t-shirt she had been wearing into a cardboard box she was currently using for laundry. "Carl, do you mind…?" she asked.

Carl stood up and walked over to her, beaming. "You look awesome!" he declared, fastening the zipper. "Dad's gonna flip out!"

"...Your dad?" she asked, laughing nervously and trying to figure out why he had brought Rick up. Was something going on with him? And was _that_ why Carl had wanted to help?

"Uh...I think you know what I mean," Carl told her, grinning and giving her a look.

"No, I don't. And I'm not sure I want to find out."

"Pshh. Okay…" Carl giggled but luckily, did not push the matter any further.

Michonne tapped his hat playfully. "What'd you pick for me?" she asked to change the subject.

"Oh…" He went back over to the vanity. He had laid out some of the most god-awful pieces of jewelry she had ever seen in her life. Before her sat a gaudy and frankly frightening set of earrings with clowns on them, a heavy tarnished ring missing most of its gemstones, and a bracelet with a horrible clash of colors that looked like a bad LSD trip. She clamped her mouth shut and tried to think of something to say, staring at each item to try to figure out why on earth he had chosen it. After a few seconds, Carl started snickering.

"You jerk!" she laughed, realizing he had been pulling her leg.

Carl reached into one of the makeup drawers and pulled out a handful of jewelry. "_This_ is what I picked." He laid out a set of gold bangles, a gold star necklace, and a gold ring embedded with an amethyst stone.

"That's more like it," Michonne said approvingly. She picked up the bangles and put them on. Not too flashy. Perfect. "Good work, Carl. We'll make a jewelry salesman outta you yet."

Before Carl could object to that career option, there was a slight cough at the door. He and Michonne both turned to the door. Before them stood Rick, sans beard for the first time since Michonne had known him. His curly hair, which she noticed he had not tried to cut, fell gently over his forehead. He wore a blue button-up shirt, fresh dark wash jeans, and his trusty boots. She was speechless, unable to move or even think clearly. He looked _good_. Like, _damn good_. Rick also seemed unable to take his eyes off of her. He probably had not expected to see her in a dress.

Carl, once he recovered from shock, started laughing. He unknowingly gave Rick and Michonne some time to collect themselves. "Holy shit, Dad!" he gasped between giggles.

Rick tried to give him a stern look, but failed and ended up chuckling, too. Carl's laughter was infectious. "Something wrong?" he asked, trying to be coy.

"You're all...baby-faced!"

At this, even Michonne started laughing. Rick glanced at her, grinning. "Y'all rather me keep lookin' insane?" he said.

"It looks good," Michonne offered, finally tearing her eyes away. She turned back to the vanity and picked up the necklace Carl had chosen. "It's just gonna take some time to get used to it, that's all."

"Yeah, it does look good, actually," Carl agreed.

"Good. I thought I'd made a huge mistake," Rick chuckled. He turned to Michonne. "Just 'bout everybody's headed out. You ready?"

"Oh, shit," she replied. She took one more look at herself in the mirror as she slid the amethyst ring onto her hand. "Y'all sure I look ok? Not too much?"

"You look great!" Carl grinned.

"Fantastic," Rick agreed.

"Alright. Let's do this," Michonne sighed, stepping into black flats. As much as she wanted to wear heels, she did not trust herself in them anymore. Nothing less attractive than stumbling around like a newborn giraffe. She started walking toward the door and by extension, toward Rick. She took immense pleasure in the way he looked at her. He had never looked at her like this before. Weird, since she used to hate being ogled.

Rick let her pass first and Carl followed close behind. "Judy's napping, should be out for another hour or so," Rick said as they headed down the steps.

"Okay," Carl said. "I'll probably just read until you get back."

Daryl was stretched out on the couch, wiping down his crossbow. He did a full blown triple take when they reached the ground floor. "The fuck is this?" he said, trying to suppress a smile as he took in Michonne and Rick's cleaned up appearances. He pulled himself into a sitting position. "Y'all spiffed up."

"You're not comin' to the party, Daryl?" Michonne asked, noting that he was dressed in the same type of attire he normally wore, which was not necessarily suitable for social functions.

"You kiddin' me?" he scoffed. "Ain't never been my type of thing. I'll stay here with Carl and Asskicker." He looked at Rick. "You finally got rid a' that mangy possum camped out on your face?"

"Shut up," Rick laughed, opening the front door for Michonne. "Y'all keep an eye on things."

Daryl and Carl followed them out, snickering. "You kids have fun. And be home before ten!" Daryl said. They all broke into laughter as Rick and Michonne headed down the steps and toward Douglas' house.

"First time I've heard Daryl laugh like that," Michonne said thoughtfully.

"Me too, now that you mention it," agreed Rick. "I reckon bein' able to rest easy for the first time in a while does that."

"I guess so." She paused, looking at him. "You didn't seem excited about this party. I'm surprised you're going."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Would rather spend the evening with my kids. But it seems appearances are important around here. At least, that's what I got from Douglas. He's still got that politician mindset. Smile enough and shake the right hands and everyone will look past your flaws."

"Seems to work for him."

"Seems that way." He looked back at her for a few paces. "You excited?" he inquired.

Michonne shrugged. "I was excited to get dressed up. Now that I am, I just want to curl up with a book."

"Well, you do look great," he smiled at her. "I guess we all gotta get used to stuff like this again."

"It's weird to have strangers around again." She sighed, looking ahead as they rounded the corner. Douglas' house was now in view. Michonne remembered how she and Mike used to love throwing house parties and inviting friends over for dinner. She missed them. She started to miss who she used to be. She pushed those thoughts aside and glanced over at Rick again, who was staring at his feet while he walked. "So, what made you decide to shave? New start?" she asked.

"Somethin' like that. Hope for this place. Mostly just to get all of that shit off my face." He nudged her a bit with his shoulder. "Sorry I didn't use those clippers you brought me before...you know."

Michonne nodded, reminiscing. "It's okay. Shaving has been the least of your worries. I think you look great all clean-cut, though."

Rick gave her a shy grin and went back to staring at his feet. She thought she saw a blush creeping across his cheeks as well, but that may have been her imagination. She smiled to herself as they walked the rest of the way Douglas' home in comfortable silence. It seemed like the entire settlement had converged on the one house and were spilling out into the yard. A few kids were playing in the grass, and Michonne stopped abruptly.

"Alright?" Rick asked gently. He put a comforting arm around her waist.

She stiffened at the contact at first. She had been getting used to having her hands and arms touched, but this was more intimate. Michonne took a deep breath and allowed herself to slowly relax against him. "Yeah. Just gonna take some getting used to," she said quietly, averting her eyes from the children and looking at him instead. The look in his eyes right now was surprisingly gentle. Hard to believe she had watched him rip a man's throat out with his teeth only about a month ago. "I guess we should find the others?"

"Yeah…" Rick started slowly walking toward the house with her. "I doubt anything will happen, but...keep an eye out for anything suspicious," he whispered to her.

"Okay," Michonne muttered, glancing at him. She realized his arm was still around her. She opted not to say anything about it.

"Just don't hurt anyone if they annoy you. I remember you stabbing that hermit in the forest that one time."

"I can't make any promises, Rick."

He grinned at her and walked her to the door.

* * *

><p>Michonne regretted her decision to come to this party almost instantly. Luckily, it didn't seem like she was alone in that sentiment. She sat with Beth and Tara among a group of 5 other women from the settlement, who seemed to be obsessed with gossip. How she found herself in this group, she was not sure. Rick had left her side early on to speak to Douglas, and she looked for the first familiar faces she could find, which happened to be Beth and Tara''s. So here they sat, faking smiles and laughs and pretending to be interested in the inane conversation happening before them. Thank God there was alcohol.<p>

It was as if these people had forgotten that the world had turned upside down. Michonne could not forget that, or everything that had happened since then. As she toyed with her wine glass, she tried to understand these women. Maybe they had not seen as much as her group had. If they joined the settlement early on, they may have avoided some of the horrors others had seen. Maybe it comforting for them to act as though it had not happened. Maybe...Shit, no matter how she spun it, Michonne could not relate. Before the turn, she would have been able to tolerate this. She did not love it then, but it was not as mind-numbingly stupid as it seemed now. She could not go back to this.

Michonne tuned back in to the conversation just long enough to ensure it was as vapid as it had been before. It was. She glanced at Beth and Tara to her right. Beth was fiddling with the cast on her arm, a small grimace on her face. Tara glanced back at her and gave her a small smile before gulping her beer as though hoping it would whisk her away from this mortal coil. The other women seemed too busy talking amongst themselves to even notice how bored their new neighbors were. Maybe they had given up trying to pull them into the conversation. Michonne was just glad she was spared from having to force herself to smile politely at least for a bit. Her cheeks were hurting.

She let her gaze wander around the room. Just a few feet away, Sasha was chatting with Douglas' handsome son, Spencer. She looked happier than Michonne had seen her in weeks. Unfortunately for Spencer, it was certain that she was not emotionally ready for a relationship so soon after Bob. Not far away from his sister was Tyrese, who was sitting on a couch chatting with a couple of guys. He caught Michonne's eye and they nodded to each other. Michonne was glad at least a few people were enjoying themselves. Glenn and Maggie hovered by the drink table, near the kitchen entrance. They both looked about as done with the party as Michonne felt. In the middle of the room was a makeshift dance area, filled with couples swaying to the jazz music that was playing from a boombox. One of those couples was Abe and Rosita, although they looked to be having a heated discussion. Next to the staircase, Eugene watched them with a sour look on his face. He had not said much to anyone since his lie had been revealed. Staying silent and out of the way was probably his smartest move yet.

Not far from Eugene, Rick stood near the front door with Aaron and two other men Michonne was not familiar with yet. She was surprised to find him already looking at her when she glanced his way. He smiled at her and she felt a smile slide across her lips in spite of herself. Whatever was happening between them was creating a ton of conflicting emotions in her. Part of her wanted to just go for it. Why the hell not? Another, larger part of her still did not feel like it was the right time. They needed to settle down, and she needed to adjust and work on pulling herself out of her depression. But most of her was simply scared. Scared that she did not deserve him. Scared that if she let herself fall for him, she would lose him like she had lost Mike. She could not go through that again.

Michonne turned away and back to the women in front of her. They had roped Beth into their conversation about the eligible bachelors in the settlement.

"-but he's with Grace right now. She's such a hussy," one of the women, Lynn was saying.

"She'll stab you in the back without a second thought," the woman named Renee added.

Tara had clearly had enough by this point and politely excused herself. Beth and Michonne looked at each other warily. The women continued on and on about Grace's character flaws. Finally, Michonne had had enough.

"So, we need to watch out for the one woman who can't keep her legs shut instead of the millions of walkers outside the walls?" she snapped.

The women gaped at her as if she had grown an extra head.

"Sh-She's our concern because she's within the walls. And...and we don't want you to get hurt by her," Renee stammered, sounding as though she did not quite believe that statement herself.

"If that's what you're concerned about, you're either clueless or lyin' to yourselves," Beth chimed in. The women looked between her and Michonne in awkward silence.

Michonne put down her wine glass and stood. She helped Beth up as well, and they made her way through the crowd toward Maggie and Glenn. "Can't believe them," Beth shook her head, gripping Michonne's arm as they navigated their way across the room.

"Probably just ruined our chances of makin' any friends outside our group," Michonne grinned at her.

Beth shrugged. "If they're all like that, I don't mind."

Glenn and Maggie smiled at them as they approached. "Y'all havin' a good time?" Maggie asked.

"Not really," Beth replied honestly.

"We found the town gossipers," Michonne added.

"...Seems to be a lot of those," said Maggie. "Ran into a few ourselves."

"Which is why we're currently hiding in a corner and drinking heavily," Glenn said, raising his glass of whiskey.

"Can't blame you. As for me...I think I'm gonna call it a night," Michonne told them with a sigh.

"Sure you don't want any more drinks?" Maggie asked. "We've been experimenting with mixers."

Michonne chuckled. "No thanks."

"I want one," Beth piped up, looking at Maggie eagerly.

"You've never had alcohol," Maggie frowned at her.

"Yeah, I have. I had moonshine with Daryl."

"..._WHAT_?"

"That's my cue to leave. Goodnight!" Michonne laughed. She left behind an irate Maggie with Beth and Glenn laughing hysterically. On her way to the door she passed Tara, who was standing with Eugene by the stairs, and Rick. Rick gave her a questioning look as she passed, but she just waved at him and walked out of the door. They would talk later. She just really wanted to get out. Michonne sighed and crossed her arms as she made her way back...well, home. It felt weird to think of it that way.

Carol was on the porch when Michonne walked up, still in her blouse and maxi skirt. She was leaning against the railing and looking dreamily up at the stars when Michonne walked up. "Left early too, huh?" Carol said as she got close.

Michonne nodded, climbing the porch steps. "Yeah. Lotta bullshit in there," she explained. "I didn't even see you there."

"I only stayed for a half hour or so," Carol told her. "These people are too relaxed for what the world is."

"They act like nothin' happened. Like everything is still fine. I just can't relate."

"That's why I left so early. Also...Douglas is a sleezeball."

"What happened?" Michonne stood beside her, leaning against one of the posts. She had heard Douglas was a bit creepy around Sasha when they first arrived, and had avoided the man accordingly.

"He was tryin' to flirt with me right in front of his wife." Carol shook her head. "He had a lot of nerve. It's no wonder she's so angry all the time."

"Wonder why she puts up with it. His power?"

"Has to be. Can't figure out what makes him a good leader. Seems like he's as jaded as some of the others around here. That's the last type of person I'd want in charge of protectin' me."

"He's good at illusions. Keeping people happy but ignorant of real problems."

"Spendin' all this time and resources on parties when they should be buildin' more defenses. The larger this place gets, the more of a target it becomes. But I guess he'd rather not think about that."

"Until it's too late." Michonne shook her head sadly. "Hopefully Rick or someone will be able to set him straight."

Suddenly, there was raucous laughter from inside the house. Michonne looked at Carol questioningly.

"Daryl and Carl found a ping pong table in the basement and decided it needed to be in the living room," Carol explained, chuckling. She paused for a moment, then looked at Michonne and smiled. "Y'know, speakin' of Rick...the two of you looked good tonight."

Michonne snorted. "And…?"

Carol gave her a knowing look. "I'm just sayin'. Anything goin' on?"

"I could ask you the same about you and Daryl. Don't think I didn't hear him go into your room last night and not leave until this morning."

"...I asked you first!"

"Fine, fine." Michonne sighed. "Honestly, I dunno what's goin' on between us. I think we both feel somethin', but...we've got other stuff to deal with."

"Mmm," Carol nodded. "Have you talked about it?"

Michonne shook her head.

"I think you should...when you're ready."

"That's the key - 'when we're ready.' Can't tell when that's gonna be."

"Not tempted to just leap and see where it takes you?"

"I'm...too scared to. Don't wanna ruin what we have."

"I don't think you'd ruin it. For what it's worth, I think the risk is worth it. We could all use some happiness."

"Like what you've found with Daryl's Dixon?"

Carol gave her a look and they both giggled. "We're not to that point yet."

"'_Yet_?'"

"Oh, goddammit."

Carol was saved from any more teasing by a large crash from inside, followed by a cry of "Uh oh!" from Judith. Daryl and Carl started laughing again. The two women began laughing and headed inside to assess the damage.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks again for reading and for all of your support thus far. It keeps me going! Hopefully the next chapter won't be too far away!<strong>


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